Fuji (apple)

The is an apple cultivar developed by growers at the in Fujisaki, Aomori, Japan, in 1939. It was named and brought to market in 1962. It originated as a cross between two American apple varieties—the Red Delicious and Ralls Janet (sometimes called "Rawls Jennet") apples. According to the US Apple Association website it is one of the nine most popular apple cultivars in the United States. Its name is derived from the first part of the town where it was developed: Fujisaki.

Characteristics

Fuji apples are typically round and range from large to very large, averaging in diameter. They contain from 9–11% sugars by weight and have a dense flesh that is sweeter and crisper than many other apple cultivars, making them popular with consumers around the world. Fuji apples also have a very long shelf life compared to other apples, even without refrigeration. With refrigeration, Fuji apples can remain fresh for up to a year.

The Fuji thrives in areas with relatively warm summers.

Popularity

In Japan, Fuji apples continue to be an unrivaled best-seller. Japanese consumers prefer the crispy texture and sweetness of Fuji apples (which is somewhat reminiscent of the coveted Nashi pear) almost to the exclusion of other varieties and Japan's apple imports remain low. Aomori Prefecture, home of the Fuji apple, is the best known apple growing region of Japan. Of the roughly 900,000 tons of Japanese apples produced annually, 500,000 tons come from Aomori.

Outside Japan, the popularity of Fuji apples continues to grow. In 2016 and 2017, Fuji apples accounted for nearly 70% of China's 43 million tons grown. Since their introduction into the US market in the 1980s, Fuji apples have gained popularity with American consumers. As of 2024, the Fuji ranked fifth among the most popular apple varieties in the United States, behind only the Gala, Red Delicious, Granny Smith, and Honeycrisp. Fuji apples are grown in traditional apple-growing states such as Washington, Michigan, Pennsylvania, New York, and California. Washington State, where more than half of America's apple crop is grown, produces about 135,000 tons of Fuji apples each year, third in volume behind Red Delicious and Gala varieties.

In the United States and Canada, the Price look-up code (PLU code) for Fuji apples is 4131.

Gallery

File:Fuji apples.jpg, Fuji apples
File:Malus-Fuji.jpg, Fuji Kiku on a tree
File:Fuji apple with PLU code.jpg, A Fuji apple with a United States PLU code attached
File:Apples in the supermarket.JPG, Fuji apples on a display in a supermarket

Mutant cultivars

Many sports (mutant cultivars) of the Fuji apple have been recognized and propagated. In addition to those that have remained unpatented, twenty had received US plant patents by August 2008:

Unpatented Fuji mutants include:
* BC 2
* Desert Rose Fuji
* Nagafu 2
* Nagafu 6
* Nagafu 12
* Redsport Type 1
* Redsport Type 2

See also

* Grāpple — a Concord grape-flavor-infused Fuji apple
* EverCrisp — a cross of the Fuji and Honeycrisp

References

External links

Northern Hemisphere Apple Situation and Outlook
– The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Foreign Agricultural Service
* https://web.archive.org/web/20070928174409/http://www.idfta.org/cft/1998/vol31no1/barritt/Barritt_Fuji.pdf
* http://www.bbg.org/gar2/topics/kitchen/handbooks/apples/northamerica.html



The International Federation for Produce Coding (IFPC)


Popular apple variety harbors unusual cell growth
EurekAlert March 25, 2008

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Japanese apples
Apple cultivars with patented mutants
Apple cultivars